A Rock Creek woman called 9-1-1 early Sunday morning, May 30, to report that three loose vicious dogs would not let her outside her home. The first deputy to arrive was charged by a Pit Bull and had to use a knee strike and a heel kick to fend it off. As backup arrived, the dog continued to lunge at deputies, all the while barking and bearing his teeth.

Another deputy immediately recognized the dog as one that attacked him 12 days earlier at the owner's home. While responding to that burglary call, the Pit Bull made a huge leap with its mouth wide open in an attempt to bite the deputy on the arm. On that call, a second deputy used a taser to intervene, and the first deputy happened to slip in the mud just in time to avoid the bite.

During the May 30 call, the owner came outside but did not try to control the dog as it advanced on deputies. The call finally ended when the dog repeatedly attacked a deputy who was trying to use a dog pole. The deputy eventually used the pole in self defense and was unable to draw his weapon and gain a clear shot. The dog then turned on a second deputy and displayed the same aggressive attack behavior; as he advanced, a third deputy shot the dog. The Pit Bull reeled momentarily but resumed his advance. The third deputy fired again and this time the dog ran off and was corralled by his owners.

The dog was taken to Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland and is currently in stable condition. The owner of the dog was cited for Keeping a Dangerous Dog. The other two Pit Bulls were returned safely to their home by their owner.

Summer is a great time to get outside for a little exercise, and unincorporated Washington County is a popular choice for pedestrians and bicyclists because of its scenic beauty. It is also a wonderful time of year to go for a drive in the rural areas and watch the crops develop and revisit nature.

Unfortunately, our rural roads are narrow and curvy, often leaving little room for cars, tractors, pedestrians, and bikes to easily commingle. We understand there are many strong feelings between motorists and bicyclists, because we respond to the crashes - 21 of them in 2009, and 10 so far this year.

Whether you bike, drive, or walk, imagine there is a surprise around the next curve and leave room to react. Treat every intersection with extra caution. Becoming impatient will only increase the likelihood of a tragic result.

Sergeant David Marzilli supervises the Sheriff's Traffic Safety Unit. He is often asked, "Why do deputies spend so much time on Highway 26?" It's really a two-part question.

Why so many officers? There are several ODOT and Oregon State Sheriff's grants, such as Three Flags and funding for the Multi-Agency Traffic Team, that encourage enforcement focused on specific traffic issues in given areas. Recently this has led to very visible saturation patrols looking for speeders, aggressive driving, drivers who fail to move over for police vehicles, cell phone users, and people not wearing seat belts.

Why on Highway 26? The eastern portion of Highway 26 from Bethany to Sylvan is one of the Top 10 most frequent crash locations in our county. (The #1 crash location is Highway 8 in Aloha, where you also see a lot of enforcement.) The top crash sites are where we have the greatest impact on traffic safety.

Most of the vehicles we stop on Highway 26 for speeding are going over 75 MPH. Those drivers are often committing some other type of dangerous violation, such as tailgating and cutting in and out of traffic. That type of driving drastically increases the chances of a crash which, aside from risking life, can snarl highway traffic for miles.

Marzilli explains, "A lot of the bad driving we see on the highways will eventually end up on the streets in unincorporated Washington County that border Highway 26, where it can have quite an effect on traffic flow. Whether it is the bad driving itself, or the extra traffic trying to avoid crash congestion, this will increase travel time for citizens and slow police response time to emergencies."

We would like to talk to your neighborhood or community group about the Public Safety Levy renewal coming up this fall. We understand that many plan their fall meetings now because they do not meet during the summer. So we are giving an early opportunity to request speakers online, by phone to (503) 846-6307, or via e-mail. The earlier we receive your request, the sooner we can save your date!

Funds from the 2006 public safety levy supported a variety of public safety functions provided by your Sheriff's Office, Jail, District Attorney, Community Corrections Center (Work Release), Parole and Probation, and the Juvenile Department.

Krystal Mincher Arrested for Hit and Run on Scholls Ferry Road
In May, we asked for your help in locating Krystal Mincher, the driver who fled the scene of a fiery crash on Scholls Ferry Road on May 7. Ms. Mincher explained that she was afraid to stay at the scene because her license was suspended and she was not supposed to be driving. In addition to being cited for Driving While Suspended and No Insurance, Ms. Mincher was booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of Hit and Run, Criminal Mischief I, and Assault IV.

Drug Raids in Aloha and Cornelius
On Thursday, June 3, WIN Team investigators joined forced with the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team to serve two search warrants. Two people were arrested at the primary location of 4533 SW Masters Loop in Aloha and one person was arrested at 747 North 4th Avenue in Cornelius. Investigators seized $500 cash, cocaine and methamphetamine with a combined street value of $4,100, and five forged Social Security cards.

Women's Power Curve Class and Safety Fair on June 19Come join us on Saturday, June 19, at the Sheriff's Office Hillsboro Headquarters. The event begins with a Power Curve class from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon (registration is required). Next, from 12:00 to 6:00 pm is a Safety Fair with educational materials, presentations from two assault survivors Link to underage drinking flyerand an expert on domestic violence, and a class on personal safety and awareness taught by your Sheriff's Crime Prevention Specialists. There will also be drawings for door prizes including free gym memberships and much more!

Underage Drinking - Get the Facts!
Most teenagers place great value in maintaining control of their lives and their personal choices, yet underage drinking strips away choice and control! A new brochure from your Sheriff's Crime Prevention Team offers simple facts about the risks and consequences of alcohol use. Take a peek!

On February 27, 2002, a friend reported that John Frederick Fairbank, age 55, had been missing since the summer of 2001 under suspicious circumstances. Detectives investigated Mr. Fairbank's life and associations, concluding that he died of homicidal means.

Mr. Fairbank lived on a large piece of rural property at 24830 SW Boones Ferry Road, near I-5 and the North Wilsonville exit. He was a solitary man and had very little contact with his extended family that lived out of state. His homestead was heavily wooded and difficult to search. Detectives speculate that his body was likely buried somewhere in the dense thicket, but it was never recovered. The property has now been sold and the house and an outbuilding have been leveled.

A roommate, Daniel Earl Ingram, who would now be 48 years old, became a person of interest as he gave inconsistent statements to detectives. He also began selling personal property owned by Mr. Fairbank after he disappeared. Mr. Ingram was also known as Daniel Prosper.

The investigation took many turns, but it is unique to detectives in part because of the interesting resources that were used to search his property. Using forensic botanists to identify disturbed soil, metal detector club members, cadaver dogs, and a naturalist to study animal behavior and nesting activities that imply clandestine graves. Further, NecroSearch International used instruments commonly used in geophysics and geology to identify areas of disturbed soil. Because the property was disturbed by a nursery operation, useful data could only be collected from certain areas.

To this day, over 1,000 man hours have been spent physically searching the property for the remains of John Fairbank.

If anyone has information not already shared with detectives about the disappearance of John Fairbanks, any of his relatives, or the sale of an older Ford tractor from the property in 2001 or 2002, please contact detectives at (503) 846-2500.

Do you really think Marine Deputies call it "fishing" when they hit the water to patrol? Well, you might be right, but we don't exactly have to bait a hook to find the folks that need attention. Here are the top offenses they are seeing this year - maybe you can change a habit and enjoy a little more uninterrupted fishing time:

Failure to Use Life Jackets. Cost of purchasing a life jacket: $30. Fine imposed for not having one: $287. Deputies respond every year to accidental drownings - they are heart wrenching and completely preventable. All children under 13 must wear a life jacket while on a boat; each adult must have one with them.

No Fishing License. Cost of purchasing the license: $33. Fine imposed if you don't: $120. The interesting twist - this unclassified misdemeanor charge turns into a mandatory arrest warrant if you don't pay your fine. Yes, we have had the misfortune of having to actually take people into custody for this. Please buy your license.

Hull Inspections. Cost of the Hull Inspection: PRICELESS. No really, it's FREE. Cost of not getting it done: inconvenience. If boaters do not follow up on new registrations with a hull inspection, the registrations are often deleted from the archives, and boat owners have to start over in the registration process. You can call non-emergency dispatch to have a deputy come to you or, better yet, flag us down at Hagg Lake and we will take care of it on the spot!

Where Best to Cast That Line? Where the fish have recently been stocked! The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife posts a schedule online for restocking trout in local lakes. How many people know that Bethany Pond is stocked several times with 1,000 trout during the summer? And, if you are thinking about visiting Hagg Lake, you might want to look at the schedule very soon. Enjoy summer - we hope to see you soon with a fish on (and a life jacket, of course)!

As a deputy responds with lights and sirens to a fight at a local tobacco bar, he has to slam on the brakes to avoid a car pulling out of the lot at a high rate of speed. Guessing the occupants might have been involved in the fight, he pursues the car as it speeds through red lights and stop signs . . . and then just pulls over.

The driver tells deputies he tried to get away because he didn't want his brother (the passenger) to get in trouble for the bar fight. The passenger explained that he had to punch the driver in the face to get him to pull over. (How's that for a punch line?)

Okay, a little more. Our Dumb Crook was arrested for DUII, Possession of Marijuana, Reckless Driving, Felony Elude, and Minor in Possession. The reported fight didn't result in criminal charges for anyone involved.

Frank Elwood Johns
is a 52-year-old white male, 5' 8'' tall, 150 pounds, with black and gray hair and brown eyes. He is wanted for Failure to Appear in Court on Theft I, Forgery I, Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon plus two other warrants out of Washington County. Details

Ralph Raymond Mefford
is a 46-year-old white male, 5' 10'' tall, 160 pounds, with blue eyes. He is a registered sex offender who is currently out of compliance. He also has warrants out of Multnomah County.

Do not approach these individuals. If you see them or have information, call the Sheriff's Office Records Unit at (503) 846-2700, or non-emergency dispatch at (503) 629-0111.

Friendly Reminder
When you change Internet Service Providers, please let us know! We will need your old email address and your new one to update our records.

CALEA Accreditation

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is proud of its national accreditation as of July 1, 2004, by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The Sheriff's Office is re-assessed every three years by a new team of inspectors. Our most recent reaccreditation was effective July 1, 2007.